1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for gripping, moving and handling materials and, more particularly, to a fork and jaw grapple for operatively attaching to a skid steer loader or other equipment.
2. Related Art
It is known to provide various grapple attachments for securing to skid steer loaders and other equipment. Grapple buckets, slab grabbers, grapple rakes, industrial grapples, box rakes, landscape rakes, power rakes, land planes, planers, demolition attachments, quick-tach grapples, jack buckets, shaker buckets, scrap grapples, pallet forks, root grapples, brooms, back fillers, chippers and snow blades are examples of various attachments for skid steer loaders. A significant disadvantage with these attachments is that the attachments are designed for a very specific purpose and are not multi-functional.
An owner of a skid steer loader desires an attachment that is multi-functional. For example, an owner may use a skid loader to, among other things, lift and transport 55-gallon drums; to scoop, lift, transport and dump sod; and to lift, transport and dump logs, telephone poles or slabs of concrete. A single attachment could not perform all of these tasks efficiently and effectively. The cost for purchasing an attachment for each task is prohibitive. It would be much more beneficial to have an attachment for perform multiple tasks, such as lifting and transporting logs, pipes, boards, tires, stumps, concrete slabs, rocks, scrap metal, barrels and other materials.
Moreover, storing multiple attachments is not desirable because of the storage area required to store these attachments. Additionally, leaving the attachments outside significantly reduces the performance and life of the attachments.
The process of removing concrete slabs from sidewalks, foundations, flooring or other areas (hereinafter collectively “concrete slabs”) is problematic. First, the concrete slabs need to be pried loose from the ground surface. This is not easily done because the attachments available for a skid steer loader are not designed for this purpose. Most attachments are bucket shaped and too big and awkward to efficiently remove concrete.
The process of placing materials into a dump truck or other vehicles with a skid steer loader is also problematic because the attachments drop the materials into the back of the dump truck. For example, concrete slabs that are pried loose and picked up with the bucket attachment of a skid steer loader have to be dropped into the dump truck. Dropping heavy pieces of materials into the back of a dump truck creates significant safety risks and causes damage to the dump truck. Moreover, if the operator of the dump truck owns the rig, the operator may become agitated and angry when heavy loads are dumped into the back of the dump truck. There is a need for an attachment that can place various materials into the back of a dump truck.
Using a skid steer loader to place materials into a dump truck without damaging the materials is problematic. For example, piping that cannot be dented or damaged is usually dropped from the bucket attachment of a skid steer loader into the back of a dump truck. The probability of damaging materials that are dropped into a dump truck is high.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.